I blew an interview recently because of this. Of course, I can't be 100% sure this is why, because I interviewed for six hours, but it was the only part where I felt like I wasn't doing well. I really fumbled at the whiteboard on some tree walking algorithms . If I had reviewed my data structures and algorithms book, I would have rocked these questions. What could have come off as a strong point instead came off as weak and rusty.

I do think that the company lost out on a good hire because of this. The job requires some specialized math, as well as domain knowledge and programming ability. I don't think there are many people will this skillset.

But next time, I will most definitely review this material prior to the interview, because it really cost me.